New compound could help lessen IBD damage

CELLS FROM THE GUT OF A PATIENT WITH A FORM OF IBD. (GERARD KAIKO)

A new compound could provide relief to patients who have severe forms of irritable bowel disease and aren’t helped by anti-inflammatory drugs. More than 3 million people in the U.S. have some form of the disease, which is most often treated with drugs that dampen inflammation. Working with colon biopsies of patients with IBD, scientists found that a gene usually linked to blood clotting is also active where there is inflammation and intestinal damage. Mice with inflamed guts were then given a compound that inhibits the activity of the gene. More than 80 percent of the colons of the treated mice were healed following treatment compared to just about 60 percent of untreated mice. The authors note that mice don’t experience IBD in the same way as humans, and that large clinical trials are needed to properly assess how the gene in question responds to the new compound.